208 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEK. 



Oct. 



Htjnqarian Grass in Illinois. — The Prairie 

 Farmer says that the agriculturists of Illinois 

 have been experimenting with this grass four or 

 fire years .Each succeeding seasoD a larger 

 breadth has been grown and it may now without 

 doubt, be considered one of the standard crops 

 of the West .Many of the extravagant claims at 

 first urgedforithave been laid aside, as have also 

 many of the objections that, later, wera brought 

 against it. It is a prolfic, yielding considerably 

 more per acre than either the prairie or tame 

 grasses, and is suparior to the common millet, 

 thought not differing materially from it in its 

 nature. Its seed is more oily, and consequently 

 a hevier feed than millet, is a somewhat more 

 vigorous grower, and hence a surer erop. Indeed 

 BO deep rooted is it, that severe drouth does not 

 affect it in the least, and may be sown upon the 

 highest and dryest soils without fear of failure. 

 All kinds of siock, cattle, horses, sheep, and 

 hogs are extremely fond of it, and when fed 

 jubiciously, we have yet to hear of an instance 

 where any injurious effects have followed its use. 

 Doubtless many horses have been injured, 

 perhaps killed outright, by its use, but these 

 cases, to the best of our knowledge, are where 

 the seed has been given immoderately, just as 

 over-feeding of any heavy grain will produce 

 disease in animals. Some have complained of its 

 being an exhaustive crop, but we think it has not 

 been found more so than wheat, and, like the 

 latter crop, the ground is left in most excellent 

 condition— ligbt and free from weeds. Corn does 

 well as a succeeding crop. Hungarian may be 

 sown any time from the 7th to the 15th of June, 

 and if to be cut for hay alone, perhaps a little 

 lather. If for hay, sow one-half bushel per acre; 

 if for seed, about one-third of a bushel is suffi- 

 cient. 



The Road to Poor Famikg. — As the road to 

 POOR farming is not generally understood, though 

 it is crowded with travelers, we throw op the 

 following landmarks, from the Springfield «« Re- 

 publican," for the commoD benefit: 



1. Invest all your capital in land, and run in 

 debt far more. 



2. Hire money to stock your farm. 



3. Have no faith in your own business, and 

 be always ready to sell out. 



4. Buy mean cows, spavined horses, poor 

 oxen, and cheap tools. 



5; Feed bog hay and mouldy com stalks 

 exclusively, in order to keep your stock tame; 

 fiery cattle are terribly hard on old, rickety 

 wagons and plows. 



6. Use the oil of hickory freely, whenever 

 your oxen need strength, it is cheaper than hay 

 or meal, keeps the hair lively and pounds outal 

 the grubs. 



7. Select such calves for stock as the butch- 

 ers shun; beauties of runt, thin in the hams, 

 and pot bellied; but be sure and keep their blood 

 thin by scanty herbage; animals are safest to 

 breed from that have'nt shrength to herd. 



8. Be cautious in the manufacture of manure; 

 it makes the field look black and mournful about 

 planting time; besides it is a deal of work to 

 haul it. 



9. Never waste time in setting out fruit and 

 shade trees; fruit and leaves rotting around a 

 place make it unhealthy, 



«• 



Late Summer Planting. — The Gardener's 

 Monthly says, more evergreens have been plan- 

 ted in August and September, in the neighbor- 

 hood of Philadelphia during the past three years, 

 than in all other months, and not one in a thous- 

 and fails. There has been quite a revolution in 

 regard to the time in planting evergreens. 



— There can be no question as to the value of 

 the above time to plant evergreens. The growth 

 is then perfected for the season, and the very 

 best time of all is before the buds start in the 

 spring, which is in April. It may do in Maine, 

 and at other points east, to move evergreens 

 after commencing the seasons growth, but our 

 experience is against it. It can be done but at 

 the expense of the growth and risk of loss. 



At any time during the season, in a long con- 

 tinued rainy spell, evergreens can be moved 

 without so much damage, but we would not at- 

 tempt it unless the tree must be moved for par- 

 ticular reasons. 



Fruit Growing in Southern Illinois. 



Dr, Meeker, of Dongola, Illinois, writes to the 

 Farmer's Club, of the American Institute con- 

 cerning the fruit business in the vicinity of South 

 Pass : 



Ten miles above Cairo, the Illinois Central 

 railroad enters a hilly country, and thirty miles 

 further north, the hills are from 200 to 500 feet 

 high. Usually there is enough level ground on 

 top for common-sized farms. The passenger 

 sees tasteful cottages standing on lofty eminences 

 and on the edge of jutting crags. What at a 

 distance seem rows of corn, would, upon near 

 approach prove to be rows of fruit trees. At 

 the stations, boys offer for sale pears and beau« 

 tiful peaches. And yet no part of Arkanas con- 

 tains a people more deeply in sympathy with the 

 rebels in their attempt to destroy this govern- 

 ment, than are a majority of the people in some 

 of these counties. 



At South Pass, Union county, forty miles from 

 Cairo, live some twenty fruit growers, each hav- 

 ing from twenty to eighty acres of peaches, 

 pears and apples. They understand their busi- 

 ness well, and they are distinguished by the Yan- 

 kee characteristics of industry, shrewdness, and 

 intelligence. The natives know they are not 

 cowards, and they know what cowardice is. 



Within the distance of a few miles around this 

 place, I estimate there are from 700 to 800 acres 

 of peach trees. Two or three car loads of the 

 nicest peaches you ever saw leave by epecial 

 train for Chicago; the receipts of the owners of 

 these orchards range from $10 to $800 a day 

 each. The season will last from fifteen to thirty 

 days. Some have contracted for their entire 



